Aeroplane



Sept. 8, 1931.A 1 BVECHERAU AROPLANE Filed Feb. 4. 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,L ours Bec/1e regu sept. s, 1931.

L. BCHEREAU 1 AEoPLANE Filed Feb. 4. 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2l v mr uf .fm m. bij, ww /M 15T. Km m. f L

Sept. 8, 1931. l.. BEHEREAU AEROILANE Filed Feb. 4. 19,29.

5 Sheets-Shaet 5 Patented Sept. 1931 UNITED STATES -PATENT OFFICE LoUrs BGHEREAU, or PARIS, Firmen, .lissrerroigl To .sociE'rE :ons Avions BERNARD,

0F PARIS, FRANCE 'AEBOPLANE Application led :February 4, -1929, Serial No. 337,342, and in Belgium February 9, 1928.

The present invention relates to aeroplane construction and assembly.

One "of the objects of the invention is t0 provide a method and means for assembling aeroplanes which will permit various types of machines to be produced from standardized units. p l

Another -objeCt is to provide a special form of wing structure combining both lightness andstrength.

Further objects will appear in the course of the detailed description now to be given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which l v Figs. 1 and 2 are sections taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 2 and, on line 2-,2 of Fig. 1, respectively;

Fig. 3 represents a side view of an assembled machine;

Fig. 4 to 6 show partial assemblies of the machine illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3;

AF ig. 7 is a perspective showing one form of wing structure; v

Fig. 8 shows the internal extremity o f same wing;

Fig. 9 represents, in section, a second form of wmg structure;

Fig. 10 is a plan of a wing ofthe type shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a front view of la wing during the process of manufacture.

Referring to the various figures of the the` ' drawings, there is shown a motor unitV a wing-fuselage unit b, 61,-an alighting unit c, -and a tail-body unit d. These various units are tied together by bolts `or pins e or by equivalent structures.

Assembliesof this type have theadvantage of permitting the replacement of any unit by another of different design whereby anydesired type ofaeroplane may be obtained. It will be noted further that, since the wings are integral with part of the-fuselage, the latter supports the former throughout 'its height. The mean plane passing through the base of thewings shouldl lie between those of the" fuselage longerons and may pass through the axis of traction as shown in Fig. 1, such an arrangement makT ing the machine easy to manuvre, and improving its aerodynamic qualities. Obviously the wings may be mounted either above or below thev fuselage level and may' vbe made either integral with, or detachable from, that part of the fuselage serving to accommodate the pilots legs. However,

there are special advantages in making wingffuselageassembly b, b1 in an integral block, this form of construction being unusually rigid andlpermitting rapid change of the wings in case of breakage. Whether the integral or detachable form of assembly .i

be used, the Wings' should join centrally so as to embrace or form compartment b1 for the pilots legs.

In the wing structures shown in Figs. 7

to 10, .a series of vertical portions A are s iitted at each end with closures B and maintained at fixed distances` by transverse clements C, elements A, B and C cooperating to form three layers of superposed cells.

'partitions A7 form solid walls.Y Since, as

will be shown further on, these walls are formed of strips, spaces may be left between adjacent strips, so as to lighten the wing structure. Y .v

To complete wing may if desired, be assembled from finishedielements. However, the wing design is such as to permit a rough assembly of all-rectangular elements which may then. be finished to the shape desired. Elements B forming the air-resisting surfaces may be cnt out .of wood o r the like in rectangular form (Fig. 7), supported. between walls A, the latter being laid down obliquely (Figs. 7 and 11) -in the form of rectangular strips (Fig. 11), and the whole assembly may then be cut down to finished contour. Preferably, the strips forming partitions A should, for adjacent partitions, y

tion permits a wing to'be assembled quickly LOG and cheaply and yields an unusually stout and light structure'. The assembly is completed by the usual covering material D.

It is sometimes advantageous to leave a notched portion near the free extremity of the Wing (Fig. 10) so as to lighten the wing structure. The cellular form of construction permits this to be done without sacrifice of strength in contiguous portions of the wing.

What I claim is 1. A Wing structure composed of a series of partitions extending continuously from one wing surface to the other, said partitions being positioned in the direction of the length of the wing, and spacing elements adapted to maintain said partitions at affixed distance from one another, said spacing elements lyingin spaced relation to the Wing surfaces.

A2. A wing structure comprising a group of longitudinal elements positioned to form one air-resisting surface, a group of longitudinal elements positioned so as to form a Second air-resisting surface, and substantially parallel strips extending from one group of longitudinal elements to the other, said strips lying obliquely with relation to said longitudinal elements.

3. A wing structure including a plurality of longitudinal elements adapted to form one air-resisting surface. a plurality of longitudinal elements adapted to form a sec- I 0nd air-resisting surface, a first series of substantially parallel strips extending obliquely from one air-resisting surface to the other, and a second series of strips extending obliquely the other in a different direction than said first series of strips.

4. A Wing-fuselage unit adapted to coact with motor, and body units to form an aeroplane, said wing-fuselage unit comprising a pair of wings bifurcating centrally so as to enclose a space adapted to form part of a fuselage.

5. A structure as defined in claim 2 in combination with a plurality of longitudinal bracing elements extending between adjacent parallel strips, said bracing elements being positioned in spaced relation to the wing surfaces.

6. A wing structure comprising a plurality of longitudinal elements positioned to form one air-resisting surface, a plurality of longitudinal elements positioned to forma second air-resisting surface, strips inserted between adjacent -longitudinal elements forming the first of said air-resisting surfaces, each of said strips extending to, and being inserted between, adjacent longitudinal elements forming said second air-resisting surface, and a. spacing element extending between a pair of strips, said spacing from one air-resisting surface to specification.

' LOUIS BCHEREAU.

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